Platelet-derived growth factor from astrocytes drives the clock that times oligodendrocyte development in culture

The various cell types in a multicellular animal differentiate on a predictable schedule but the mechanisms responsible for timing cell differentiation are largely unknown. We have studied a population of bipotential glial (O-2A) progenitor cells in the developing rat optic nerve that gives rise to oligodendrocytes beginning at birth and to type-2 astrocytes beginning in the second postnatal week. Whereas, in vivo, these O-2A progenitor cells proliferate and give rise to postimitotic oligodendrocytes over several weeks, in serum-free (or low-serum) culture they stop dividing prematurely and differentiate into oligodendrocytes within two or three days. The normal timing of oligodendrocyte development can be restored if embryonic optic-nerve cells are cultured in medium conditioned by type-1 astrocytes, the first glial cells to differentiate in the nerve: in this case the progenitor cells continue to proliferate, the first oligodendrocytes appear on the equivalent of the day of birth, and new oligodendrocytes continue to develop over several weeks, just as in vivo. Here we show that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) can replace type-1-astrocyte-conditioned medium in restoring the normal timing of oligodendrocyte differentiation in vitro and that anti-PDGF antibodies inhibit this property of the appropriately conditioned medium. We also show that PDGF is present in the developing optic nerve. These findings suggest that type-1-astrocyte-derived PDGF drives the clock that times oligodendrocyte development.     

Differentiation of a bipotential glial progenitor cell in a single cell microculture

Although it is known that most cells of the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) are derived from the neuroepithelial cells of the neural tube, the factors determining whether an individual neuroepithelial cell develops into a particular type of neurone or glial cell remain unknown. A promising model for studying this problem is the bipotential glial progenitor cell in the developing rat optic nerve; this cell differentiates into a particular type of astrocyte (a type-2 astrocyte) if cultured in 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) and into an oligodendrocyte if cultured in serum-free medium. As the oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte (0-2A) progenitor cell can differentiate along either glial pathway in neurone-free cultures, living axons clearly are not required for its differentiation, at least in vitro. However, the studies on 0-2A progenitor cells were carried out in bulk cultures of optic nerve, and so it was possible that other cell-cell interactions were required for differentiation in culture. We show here that 0-2A progenitor cells can differentiate into type-2 astrocytes or oligodendrocytes when grown as isolated cells in microculture, indicating that differentiation along either glial pathway in vitro does not require signals from other CNS cells, apart from the signals provided by components of the culture medium. We also show that single 0-2A progenitor cells can differentiate along either pathway without dividing, supporting our previous studies using 3H-thymidine and suggesting that DNA replication is not required for these cells to choose between the two differentiation programmes.     

人和小鼠神经干细胞的体外培养的分化研究

首次克隆了小鼠神经元标志性微管蛋白βⅢ基因，从核苷酸序列推导出小鼠与人两者之间在其羧基端有相同的EAQGPK六肽，进一步证实用抗人微管蛋白βⅢ单抗可检测小鼠神经干细胞分化成的神经元细胞，免疫组化鉴定显示小鼠神经干细胞在体积分数为1％胎牛血清（FBS）诱导下，可分化成神经元，星形胶质细胞，少突胶质细胞，同时培养了13周龄胎儿脑来源的人类神经干细胞，用特异性的抗人nestin抗体鉴定，全部为阳性细胞，但它们经诱导分化产生较不同寻常的细胞分化细胞和分化程度，在生长因子减半和1％FBS诱导条件下可分化为神经元和星形胶质细胞，而无少突胶质细胞分化，NF单抗检测证实为早期分化的神经元。     

Evidence for migration of oligodendrocyte--type-2 astrocyte progenitor cells into the developing rat optic nerve

Formation of myelinated tracts in central nervous system (CNS) regions such as the optic nerve seems to depend on two glial cell types, both of which derive from a common progenitor cell. This oligodendrocyte--type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cell gives rise to oligodendrocytes, which produce internodal myelin sheaths, and to type-2 astrocytes, which extend fine processes in the region of the nodal axolemma. The optic nerve also contains a third glial cell, the type-1 astrocyte, which derives from a separate precursor. These three glial cells develop in a fixed sequence over a two-week period: type-1 astrocytes appear at embryonic day 16 (E16), oligodendrocytes at the day of birth (E21 or postnatal day P0), and type-2 astrocytes between P8 and P10. Type-1 astrocytes secrete a potent mitogen which causes expansion of the O-2A progenitor cell population in vitro. Here, we report that dividing O-2A progenitor cells are highly motile and seem to migrate from the brain into the optic nerve, beginning at its chiasmal end. Our results indicate that long-distance migration along the neural axis is characteristic only of progenitors of the O-2A lineage and may serve to distribute these cells to regions of the CNS that will become myelinated. These results also suggest that the intrinsic neuroepithelial cells of the optic stalk may be even more restricted than previously thought, giving rise only to type-1 astrocytes.     

Platelet-derived growth factor promotes division and motility and inhibits premature differentiation of the oligodendrocyte/type-2 astrocyte progenitor cell

The mitogens which modulate cell-cell interactions during development of the central nervous system are unknown. One of the few interactions sufficiently well understood to allow identification of such molecules involves the two glial lineages which make up the rat optic nerve. One population of glial cells in this tissue, the type-1 astrocytes, secrete a soluble factor(s) which promotes division of a second population of bipotential oligodendrocyte/type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells; these progenitors give rise to oligodendrocytes, which myelinate large axons in the CNS, and type-2 astrocytes, which enwrap bare axons at nodes of Ranvier. Type-1 astrocytes also promote progenitor motility, and inhibit the premature differentiation of progenitors into oligodendrocytes which occur when these cells are grown in the absence of type-1 astrocytes. We have now found that platelet-derived growth factor mimics the effects of type-1 astrocytes on O-2A progenitor cells, and antibodies to PDGF block the effects of type-1 astrocytes.     

The oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte cell lineage is specialized for myelination

Astrocytes are one of the most numerous cell types in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) and yet their functions are largely unknown. In the rat optic nerve there are two distinct types of astrocyte: type-1 astrocytes develop from one type of precursor cell, and type-2 astrocytes develop from bipotential, oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells, that initially give rise to oligodendrocytes (which make myelin in the CNS), and then to type-2 astrocytes. Type-1 astrocytes form the glial limiting membrane at the periphery of the optic nerve and are probably responsible for glial scar formation following nerve transection. The functions of type-2 astrocytes, which, like oligodendrocytes, are found mainly in tracts of myelinated axons throughout the CNS, are unknown. In this report we provide evidence that processes from type-2 astrocytes contribute to the structure of nodes of Ranvier, suggesting that the O-2A cell lineage is specialized for constructing myelin sheaths and nodes in the mammalian CNS.     

Neural stem cell transplantation in the repair of spinal cord injury

Neural stem cells are a pronising candidate for neural transplantation aimed at neural cell replacement and repair of the damaged host central nervous system (CNS). Recent studies using neural stem cells have shown that implanted neural stem cells can effectively incorporate into the damaged CNS and differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. The recent explosion in the field of neural stem cell research has provided insight into the inductive factors influencing neural stem cell differentiation and may yield potential therapies for several neurological disorders, including spinal cord injury. In this review, we summarize recent studies involving neural stem cell biology in both rodents and humans. We also discuss unique advantages and possible mechanisms of using neural stem cell trans plantation in the repair of spinal cord injury.     

神经干细胞及其临床应用潜能

近年来神经干细胞已在成年哺乳动物中的中枢神经系统中分离成功。神经干细胞的最基本特征是具有分化为神经元、星状胶质细胞和少突胶质细胞的潜能，具有自我更新能力，并足以维持整个大脑所需。神经干细胞在修复受伤神经组织及治疗神经系统退行性疾病，如帕金森病、阿尔茨海默病、和亨庭顿病等方面有很好的应用前景。但在达到临床实际应用之前仍有一系列问题需要解决，最首要的是搞清神经干细胞的分化机制。     

Proliferating bipotential glial progenitor cells in adult rat optic nerve

We have shown previously that the rat optic nerve contains three types of macroglial cells--oligodendrocytes and two types of astrocytes--which develop as two distinct lineages. Type-1 astrocytes develop from one type of precursor cell beginning at embryonic day 16 (E16), while oligodendrocytes and then type-2 astrocytes develop from a common, bipotential progenitor cell beginning at birth (E21) and postnatal days 7-10 (P7-10), respectively. Here we report that proliferating bipotential oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte (0-2A) progenitor cells are present in the adult rat optic nerve, raising the possibility that these cells are produced continually from self-renewing stem cells throughout life.     

大鼠胎脑神经干细胞的分离和培养

胚龄14．5～16．5d(E14．5～16．5)的大鼠胎脑组织获得大鼠胎脑神经干细胞(rat fetal neural stem cells，rFNSCs)，培养于含有碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(basic fibroblast growth factor，bFGF)和表皮生长因子(epidermal growth factor，EGF)的无血清培养液DMEM／F12中，用^3[H]胸苷掺入试验检测EGF和bFGF对大鼠胚胎神经干细胞分裂和增殖的影响．BrdU结合反应和nestin免疫组化检测显示培养细胞在早期时代约90％以上具有分裂增殖能力并显示nestln阳性，而且这些细胞在培养过程中可以分化神经元、星形胶质细胞和少突胶质细胞，证明分离培养的是神经干细胞，可用于移植、定向分化和基因转移的研究．     

Adult neural stem cells-Functional potential and therapeutic applications

The adult brain has been thought traditionally as a structure with a very limited regenerative capacity. It is now evident that neurogenesis in adult mammalian brain is a prevailing phenomenon. Neural stem cells with the ability to self-renew, differentiate into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes reside in some regions of the adult brain. Adult neurogenesis can be stimulated by many physiological factors including pregnancy. More strikingly, newborn neurons in hippocampus integrally function with local neurons, thus neural stem cells might play important roles in memory and learning function. It seems that neural stem cells could transdifferentiate into other tissues, such as blood cells and muscles. Although there are some impediments in this field, some attempts have been made to employ adult neural stem cells in the cell replacement therapy for traumatic and ischemic brain injuries.     

人骨髓间充质干细胞对小鼠神经干细胞增殖与分化培养的影响

通过在体外培养、鉴定人的骨髓间充质干细胞与小鼠神经干细胞,用骨髓间充质干细胞条件培养基分别在增殖与分化条件下对神经干细胞进行培养.发现,间充质干细胞条件培养基在增殖条件下能加快神经球内神经干细胞的迁移,使神经球解聚,对神经干细胞增殖没有影响;而间充质干细胞条件培养基在分化条件下,能增加神经干细胞向少突胶质细胞分化的能力,降低向星型胶质细胞的分化能力,对向神经元分化能力没有影响,间充质干细胞可能是通过促进神经干细胞迁移、分化而加快神经损伤的修复的.     

小鼠嗅鞘细胞的分离、纯化和免疫细胞化学特性

目的:对小鼠嗅鞘细胞的体外分离、纯化和免疫细胞化学特性进行研究.方法:分离新生小鼠嗅鞘细胞,综合运用差速贴壁法、阿糖胞苷抑制和丝裂原刺激等方法对其进行纯化,并用免疫细胞化学方法对其进行检测.结果:体外培养的新生小鼠嗅鞘细胞主要为双极或三极细胞.纯化培养后其纯度可以达到88.7%以上,污染细胞中有星形胶质细胞、神经元、少突胶质细胞和成纤维细胞.免疫组化结果提示,嗅鞘细胞呈P75和CNP免疫阳性,GFAP和Nestin阴性.结论:本研究对新生小鼠嗅鞘细胞的形态学和免疫细胞化学特性提供了部分数据.但不同的取材时间,不同的培养条件对嗅鞘细胞的影响尚需进一步研究.     

Absence of expression of OKT8 antigen on cultured human, calf and rat oligodendrocytes

Monoclonal antibodies which recognize human suppressor T cells (OKT8) have been reported by Oger and co-workers to bind to cultured sheep oligodendrocytes. These authors speculated that an immune response directed at determinants shared by suppressor lymphocytes and oligodendrocytes could explain the decrease in both circulating blood suppressor T cells and oligodendrocytes in patients with multiple sclerosis. In view of the vital issue of potential cross-reactivity between oligodendrocytes and lymphocytes, we studied the binding of viable cultured calf, rat and human oligodendrocytes using monoclonal antibodies to human T cells and monocytes. We report here that we were unable to confirm the presence of shared determinants among oligodendrocytes and any leukocytes, including human T cells or monocytes. As the reported observations of lymphocyte-oligodendrocyte shared determinants could not be identified in three other species, including man, we found no evidence to support the hypothesis that such shared determinants are of importance in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.     

Glycolytic oligodendrocytes maintain myelin and long-term axonal integrity

Oligodendrocytes, the myelin-forming glial cells of the central nervous system, maintain long-term axonal integrity. However, the underlying support mechanisms are not understood. Here we identify a metabolic component of axon-glia interactions by generating conditional Cox10 (protoheme IX farnesyltransferase) mutant mice, in which oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells fail to assemble stable mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX, also known as mitochondrial complex IV). In the peripheral nervous system, Cox10 conditional mutants exhibit severe neuropathy with dysmyelination, abnormal Remak bundles, muscle atrophy and paralysis. Notably, perturbing mitochondrial respiration did not cause glial cell death. In the adult central nervous system, we found no signs of demyelination, axonal degeneration or secondary inflammation. Unlike cultured oligodendrocytes, which are sensitive to COX inhibitors, post-myelination oligodendrocytes survive well in the absence of COX activity. More importantly, by in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy, brain lactate concentrations in mutants were increased compared with controls, but were detectable only in mice exposed to volatile anaesthetics. This indicates that aerobic glycolysis products derived from oligodendrocytes are rapidly metabolized within white matter tracts. Because myelinated axons can use lactate when energy-deprived, our findings suggest a model in which axon-glia metabolic coupling serves a physiological function.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> induced dopaminergic differentiation of expanded rat mesencephalic neural stem cell

Recent progress in stem cell biology and recognition of the unique biological properties of stem cell have made it possible to treat the neurodegenerative diseases includ- ing Parkinson抯 disease (PD) by the approach of cell-re- placement and nutritional support with NSCs. Tissue re-construction based on the stem cells endowed us some unpredicted application and market opportunities. Studies in a variety of systems have highlighted perfect prospects for the application of stem cells in the t…     

应用相差显微镜和扫描电镜对离体培养的大白鼠甲状腺滤泡上皮细胞的研究

利用 Ham's F_(12)培养液对大白鼠甲状腺细胞进行了原代细胞培养,在相差显微镜下观察了培养的甲状腺细胞贴壁及生长情况,还对甲状腺的组织小块贴壁实验进行了反复观察,结果证明,在我们的试验条件下组织块贴壁细胞培养技术有利于大白鼠甲状腺细胞的培养.我们还把甲状腺组织小块接种在玻璃盖片上,并用相差显微镜及扫描电镜对培养的甲状腺细胞表面形态进行了观察,发现在 Ham's F_(12)培养液内加入15%胎牛血清,甲状腺细胞生长良好,细胞呈园形而小,核内有1-2个核仁,还能见到细胞分裂的图像.     

rhEPO对预处理低氧损伤胶质细胞MMP-9表达的影响

 探讨人促红细胞生成素（rhEPO）对低氧损伤胶质细胞的影响及对金属蛋白酶-9（MMP-9）表达的影响。通过体外纯化培养第3代星形胶质细胞,将其分为正常组、低氧组、rhEPO预处理组;以四唑蓝（MTT）比色法测定低氧培养12、24、36h细胞的存活率,倒置显微镜和透射电镜观察低氧对胶质细胞形态的影响;免疫荧光和逆转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）方法研究低氧对星形胶质细胞MMP-9表达的影响。结果显示:低氧组星形胶质细胞在低氧培养下出现细胞肿胀,且随时间的延长而加重,rhEPO预处理组在各时间点细胞肿胀明显轻于低氧组。rhEPO能减轻细胞超微结构的改变及降低MTT比值。RT-PCR及免疫荧光检测表明：低氧组MMP-9 mRNA及蛋白的表达在低氧各时间点均高于正常组,在24h达到最高,在36h开始降低（P<0.05）;rhEPO预处理组MMP-9mRNA及蛋白的表达变化在12、24、36h较低氧组低（P<0.05）。由此得出结论：rhEPO通过抑制MMP-9的表达促进低氧条件下星形胶质细胞的存活。     

Facilitation of voltage-gated ion channels in frog neuroglia by nerve impulses

The functions of glial cells in the nervous system are not well defined, with the exception of myelin production by oligodendrocytes, uptake of amino-acid synaptic transmitters, and a contribution to extracellular potassium homeostasis. Neuroglia have receptors for neurotransmitters which may be involved in neuron-glia interactions. Recent studies have demonstrated voltage-gated ion channels in glial membranes. In a study of the optic nerve of the frog, small areas of the surface were examined with the loose patch-clamp method, and voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channels, presumably located in the membranes of the astrocytes forming the glia limitans, were identified. We now report that nerve impulses in the axons of the frog optic nerve transiently alter the properties of the voltage-dependent membrane channels of the surface glial cells (astrocytes), a demonstration of a new form of neuron-glia interaction.     

Preparation and cytocompatibility of polylactic acid/hydroxyapatite/graphene oxide nanocomposite fibrous membrane

A series of polylactic acid (PLA) based nanocomposite fibrous membranes,including neat PLA,PLA/hydroxyapatite (HA) and PLA/HA/graphene oxide (GO),were fabricated via electrospinning method.The morphology and composition were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM),X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) respectively.The thermal stability was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).To estimate the cytocompatibility of asprepared PLA/HA/GO fibrous membrane,MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured,and the corresponding cell adhesion and differentiation capability were investigated by fluorescence microscopy,SEM and MTT test.The electrospun ternary PLA/HA/GO membrane exhibited three-dimensional fibrous structure with relatively rough surface morphology,which made itself ideal for cell attachment and proliferation in bone tissue regeneration.The fluorescence microscopy,SEM and MTT test confirmed that the PLA/HA/GO nanocomposite fibrous membrane created a proper environment for the seeding and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells.